See something? Say something.

by Doron Taussig, Posted: December 8, 2010

The DN thinks we should apply a principle of homeland security to government ethics:

As ethical scandals go, this has so far been a banner month, topped off by the sudden retirement of elections official Renee Tartaglione as a result of an investigation that found she was actively electioneering: paying for misleading ballots, and serving as de facto ward leader.

The thing that strikes us is how long many of these scandals take to come to light. It's worth remembering that it's not just bad players who should be sanctioned; it's also the people who witnessed wrongdoing and stayed silent. Taking a page from our homeland security, then, here's our advice:

If you SEE a photo in the newsletter of your publicly funded agency of your boss with agency funded belly dancers, SAY something;

If you SEE an official in charge of fair elections ordering campaign literature and collecting donations, SAY something;

If you SEE an L&I officer offer to get you an off-the-books license, SAY something.

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If you SEE a Liquor Control Board worker offer to sell you liquor off the books, SAY something.

If you SEE anything like these examples, you can SAY so at 215-686-1770 - the Inspector General's Office.